Each Other's Fantasies
by PriestessAmy
Summary: Adora has spent her whole life in Phobos, being raised in an abusive home. So as soon as the chance presents itself, she gets the hell out of there. She doesn't make it far though, unintentionally inserting herself into the life of Luna residents Glimmer and Bow, along with their very strange, very tangled relationships. [Poly, FFN only lets me tag 4 people]
1. Good Luck Movin' Up

Adora adjusted her backpack full of the few things she owned in the world and continued down along the highway. Every now and then she would try and hold out her thumb and actually hitchhike, but she knew enough from pop culture that it was equal parts dangerous and usless. Which was maybe why it came as kind of a shock that a fancy car pulled off the side of the road just ahead of her. She picked up the pace to reach it, where the passenger side window was lowering to reveal a handsome guy with an amazing smile. She could just see a girl with dyed hair behind the wheel. "Um, hey, you uh... you actually stopped! That's... unexpected, honestly."

The guy gave her an even more amazing smile and a thumbs up. "Well, ya know, sometimes ya gotta throw a little good into the universe, just to counteract the bad."

"What he said. Hop on in!" The one with the pink hair smiled just as cheerfully and unlocked the doors.

Adora chuckled softly and climbed in, setting her backpack down next to her. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this. I've been hoofing it since Phobos and my feet are kiiiilling meeeeee..." She slumped back in her seat and finally buckled up. There was a heavy pause before she noticed that the car wasn't actually moving again. "Um, did I say something wrong?"

"Uh, no no, not at all! Everything is completely fine!" The guy seemed quick to cover for whatever was wrong with their driver.

"Bow, everything is definitely not fine. You heard what she said! She's from Phobos!"

"Glimmer, can you take two seconds and catch a breath? I seriously doubt she's going to slit our throats and steal the car or whatever."

"Um, I'm literally right here? What, just because Phobos is a little rough, that's reason enough to think about kicking me out of your car?"

The girl huffed softly and finally started driving again. "Whatever. It's fine. We can take you as far as Luna, but that's it."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

That seemed to be the end of it, and they drove on in very, very awkward silence. Every now and then, Adora would catch sight of the two in the front seat sharing strange looks, almost as if they were having a psychic conversation or something. At this point, she was just glad that they were still giving her a ride, so she turned her attention out the window and watched the scenery pass by.

When the car finally came to a stop, she was kind of shocked to see that they weren't on some kind of main street. Instead, they had pulled up a long driveway leading to a place that could only accurately be described as a mansion! "Um... wha?"

Glimmer shut off the car and turned in her seat to look back at her. Her face was significantly softened. "Um, this is my house. I thought... I mean, if you're out hitchhiking, it's maybe not for a good reason. And maybe you might like to go somewhere you can really relax." She laughed bashfully, ruffling her own hair. For just a moment, Adora was struck by just how cute this girl could be. Even if it wasn't that long ago they were practically yelling at each other.

"Even if I'm from a slum like Phobos?" Okay, so regardless of how cute she was, she was still kind of bitter.

The look of sheer pain on her face told Adora that maybe she'd gone too far. Thankfully, Bow was there to jump in with something a bit more helpful. "Everyone got a little heated, but let's forget about that! You should come inside and hang out for a bit, rest your weary bones. Ooh, we can order pizza!"

So that was how Adora found herself entering a freaking mansion with two strangers.

* * *

All initial tensions aside, Adora had to admit that being picked up by Glimmer and Bow was one of the best things that had happened to her lately. On their insistence, she was convinced to take off her boots and rest a while. The couches in the living room were like sitting on clouds, and she was fairly certain she didn't even know what an ottoman was until this moment, but she wanted them to be in every house she owned for all time.

Bow was mid-bite of his pizza, showing a strange lack of grace for a place that was so fancy. "So, Adora, what's the deal anyway? You don't exactly see that many people wandering down the side of the road these days."

She sighed softly, rubbing her arm. Of course this would come up eventually. Both of her hosts seemed like curious people. But it wasn't an easy story and it seemed rude to accept their hospitality and then dump all of her garbage on them. "Eh, it's not really all that interesting..." _Yeah, very smooth, Adora. That's the ticket. They'll definitely buy that._

"I'm not buying it..." Glimmer said evenly. "You got a story in there, Adora. You should let it out! It'll be good for you~"

Gnawing anxiously on her lower lip, Adora did her best to find a little confidence. "Um, I uh... I grew up in a foster home over in Phobos. Uh, the woman who was taking care of me and this other girl... She was pretty awful. She put all these expectations on me, and she was constantly shitting on Catra. I couldn't take it anymore, so I left as soon as I hit my 18th birthday..."

Bow and Glimmer both had the decency to look a little ashamed of their prodding. Eventually he cleared his throat softly and reached for another slice. "Okay well now I feel bad for pressing you on this... That sounds legitimately awful."

She could swear that the other girl was starting to tear up just a little. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a jerk, I should never have judged you like I did! Adora, do you have anywhere to go? I don't know if I'd feel okay letting you just wander out into the world..."

Adora could hardly believe what she was hearing. All her life, she had heard that people in Luna were selfish and greedy and terrible. And yet the first two she had met were offering so much to her for seemingly no reason. "Oh, no, no, I couldn't possibly impose. You've already done so much for-"

"No way! You have to at least spend the night!" Glimmer suddenly jumped to her feet, only to lose her steam and grow embarrassed. "Um, I mean... please? You can take a nice shower, wash your clothes, get a good rest in? Come on..."

Jeez. How in the world could she possibly say no to a face like that? Yes, maybe they had gotten off to a rough start, but she would be lying if she said she didn't find this strange girl attractive. "Hm. Okay okay. No need to twist my arm. I really could use a good sleep for..." _For the first time in ever? Ugh, don't be too honest, Adora._ "For the road ahead, ya know? The world is my oyster and all that!"

* * *

"This is weird. This feels really weird. I shouldn't be here. This is a stranger's house. This is a stranger's robe. My clothes are in a stranger's washing machine. I never should have left. Ugh, Catra must hate me..." Adora slumped onto the bed, immediately sinking into it. "What is this thing made of? Pure fluff?" She flopped over and began pounding the mattress, attempting to make it feel more like the pathetic thin one she had back home.

Some gentle knocking at the door caused her to sit back up lightning fast. "Adora? Is everything alright?" Slowly it cracked open and Glimmer peered through to check on her. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"Heh, yeah, I was talking to... myself. Sorry..."

Glimmer slipped inside and shut the door behind her. "Pfft, no judgment here. I talk to myself all the time! I don't know if I can really call it 'normal' but... you're not the only one, at least!"

Glancing down, Adora became suddenly aware that she was kind of not wearing a whole lot and began adjusting her robe. A cute girl, an awkward situation, how had this happened? She was trying to get as far away from Phobos as possible, and all she'd done was make it as far as Luna before getting halted in her tracks. "Well thank goodness for that. Um, anyway, everything is just perfect. Uber perfect, honestly. It's all so much nicer than I'm used to! I don't even know if I'll be able to fall asleep, you know?" She began laughing anxiously, adjusting herself on the bed slightly. _Yeah, definitely shouldn't have said that, Adora. Come on, be a gracious guest._

Her host seemed surprisingly willing to roll with this new information and just smiled pleasantly. "You know what, I think I know what we can do about that. Why don't you come down to my room once you get changed? You'll know it pretty quick, it's got a sign that's plastered with glitter." With that, she wandered back into the hallway, closing the door behind her once again.

She gave it a few seconds until she was sure that Glimmer had left before grabbing for a nearby pillow and groaning into it. "This is not good. Adora, you need to find some way to get out of this. You should absolutely not be alone all night in a room with a cute girl you don't even know! This cannot possibly end well!"

Still, shrugging her off and ignoring her offer would probably look even worse. So Adora changed into her pajamas and bravely strolled her way down the hall to the door, carefully stepping inside. There was an instant feeling of both relief and disappointment when she saw that Bow was also there too. Glimmer's room was much like the guest room she'd just been in, but much... brighter. Next to her fluffy bed was a futon that they were in the process of folding out.

Bow looked up at her as the frame snapped into place. "If you absolutely, positively have to have a crappy night's sleep, there's nothing better than a two inch thick piece of foam. What do you think, Adora?"

She tentatively came over and took a seat on it, immediately met with a much more familiar sensation. "Yeah... Yeah, that's way better. Or, well, it's way worse. And you don't mind me crashing in here with you tonight?"

"I'm with Bow pretty much 24/7, so I'm desperate to hang out with basically anyone else whenever I get the chance" she replied with a cheeky grin.

Bow scoffed, hands on his hips, practically pouting. "You're lucky I need my beauty sleep, or I'd be crashing your little slumber party just to make your night miserable, little lady. Now, come here." Bashfully, she shuffled across the room and pulled her friend into a tight hug, then he pressed a kiss gently to her forehead. "Our guest has a big journey ahead of her, so don't talk her ear off all night."

He left, and took some of the energy with him. Now it was just the two of them. Glimmer busied herself with getting out some bedding supplies for the futon while Adora stood around awkwardly. "So. You uh... You and Bow? Is that a thing or...? _Very smooth. Very tactful. Amazing_.

She shook out the blanket over the futon and put out some pillows as well, laughing bashfully. "It's a little bit more complicated than just that, but... Yeah. Kinda. He's much closer to this girl Perfuma, but we've gotten used to sharing."

That was definitely not the answer that Adora was expecting. Did people really do that? It wasn't that she felt horrified, if anything she was intrigued. "Oh..."

Glimmer went to the wall and flicked off the lights, then both of them climbed under the covers in their respective beds. "That's not freaking you out or anything, is it? I know we kinda just bullied you into hanging out with us, but I really am glad we were able to help you, just a little. And I'd feel terrible if we did all these great things only to end up scaring you off!"

"Hey. It's fine. Just... I didn't really grow up in a normal situation. So even a completely boring life would be pretty weird to me. And it's like... if everyone is happy and comfortable, then it's hardly my business." She shrugged and burrowed into the pillow beneath her. It wasn't until she lay down that she realized just how exhausted she felt, even if she had only been free for a day. "You seem like great people. Who am I to judge...?" Her voice slowly drifted off until she fell asleep.

The last thing she heard was Glimmer's soft laughter. "Night, Adora~"


	2. Only Fools Are Satisfied

Glimmer awoke slowly as the light intruded on her rest. She turned over onto her side and was quickly reminded that she had a guest. A tall... buff... handsome guest. A girl that she was arguing with one moment and then swapping stories the next. She made Glimmer feel worried for letting her into the house, but also strangely comforted, like she just carried this calming aura around her. And in those sleepy first minutes after waking up, all she could think about was crawling over to the futon and cuddling up into those amazing arms.

But that was crazy, of course. No doubt she was trying to move to another country, another continent, to get as far away as possible from her old home. This was probably all that she would ever see of her. So why bother getting too attached? She could see Adora's eyes starting to flutter open and she casually turned onto her back once again. _Okay girl, just play it cool. Play it casual. Get a feel for what she's doing with herself. Don't come on too strong._ So she made another easy turn onto her side so she could look in her direction, as though she wasn't just staring creepily at her. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Mmm, not bad at all." She sat up and started stretching her arms up over her head. And Glimmer momentarily died. It required a great deal of concentration to not stare like a total creeper. "Honestly, better than I have in a while. It was kinda nice, not waking up constantly wondering if maybe I had done something wrong that day and would get punished for it. So I'd say a pretty successful sleep."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'd hate to be an awful hostess..." She finally did the same, sitting up and stretching a little herself. She wondered if Adora was watching her at all. Probably not. She could definitely get anyone she wanted, there was no way she would give a second thought to her. "So um... what's next for you, Adora?"

She shrugged and got up from the futon, showing a surprising amount of care as she folded up all the sheets and blankets, then pushed the frame back into position with ease. "Well... For the time being, I'm probably gonna stick here in Luna. I need to get myself a job and a place to live. I uh... I kinda dropped out of school, so I guess I need to get my GED at some point... Probably enroll at Luna University."

Glimmer's eyes lit up just a little, even though she knew she should have been more cautious with her thoughts and feelings. "Oh! So you're gonna still... be around. That's cool. We should definitely hang out more. Or..." She nibbled at her lower lip. It was an easy solution to a confusing situation, and it would certainly give her more opportunities to be sure she saw Adora consistently.

"...Or...?"

"Well, I mean... We have a ton of space here. And I still feel bad for giving you crap yesterday, so I want to do something good. I was thinking... maybe you could live here? No rent, it already comes with a bed and dresser and stuff. You can hang out with me and Bow, and I'm sure we can help you find a job! What do you say?" She knew her voice probably sounded a little desperate, but she wasn't sure that could be helped.

Adora looked appropriately shocked. "Wh- Just like that?" She flopped down into a seated position on the futon now that it was more of a couch, fiddling with the hem of her sleep shirt. "I don't really... deserve something like that, y'know? I'm just a stranger, you barely even know me. You already did way more for me than anybody should ever have to."

For just a moment, Glimmer felt a kind of victory almost. She had actually managed to fluster the blonde beauty. "Well, it's not exactly a true act of kindness if you do it for a specific reason, or because the person deserves it. You do it because you can, and it's the right thing to do! So, come on, what do you say? You get a place to live, we get a cool new friend. I would say everyone wins with this."

"Okay but it's not just you here though, right? I mean what about your... your parents, or Bow? What if they don't want me here?" She continued to fumble through her reaction, and it was just so damn cute. If only she knew her better and she could tease her about this. Alas, she would have to leave it where it was.

"Good point, we'd have to check in with Bow. And... hm, I mean, Netossa and Spinnerella will want to at least know that you exist. But they're so in their own little world that it probably won't even affect them. And mom is so desperate for me to have friends she will bend over backwards to let me do ridiculous things." She shrugged and climbed off her bed, searching for a sweater to throw on.

Something about what she had said seemed to catch Adora's attention. "Wait, who were those other two you mentioned?"

"Oh! That's... kind of a complicated story. Why don't we go bother Bow, and then we can have breakfast? And I'll do my best to explain it." She chuckled and opened the door to her bedroom. Adora hopped up and followed after her.

* * *

Glimmer flipped the pancake over and laughed brightly. "See? I told you. Fact of the universe. The first one always turns out ugly and then the rest are beautiful. It's unavoidable."

Bow scoffed, and from the nearby table Adora giggled. "Aww, don't be mean to this poor little guy. He tastes just as delicious as all of his siblings!" She took another big bite and quickly swallowed it. "So! Come on, spill the beans. You have a pair of lovebirds living with you and somehow I haven't even met them yet?"

She plated up the next round of food and passed it off to Bow with a small laugh of her own. "Go on, I know that starving face of yours." She nudged him toward the table with her hip then turned her attention on the next pancake while continuing her conversation with Adora. "We met at Luna University. Net and Spin were in the leadership of the queer club, and they told us one day that they were being disowned by their families and running into some financial troubles. And we couldn't just let that go. So we offered to let them live here since we had so much space already. Honestly, we didn't even know them super well, but they're fantastic people and it worked out well enough. It's just uh... they uh... Well... They're in their room a lot of the time, so... Well."

Bow leaned forward conspiratorially. "Sex. They have a lot of sex."

"Bow!" She stamped her foot, then huffed and turned her full attention back on the pancakes. "You don't have to be so crude about it. Maybe they're not always have sex. Maybe they're just... I don't know, cuddling!" God, you could just _tell_ Glimmer was still a virgin, couldn't you? If only she knew how to make it a little less obvious.

Finally her food was ready and she was able to move over to the table and join the others. Adora had already decimated her food, and looked at her with a slightly nervous smile. "So... I guess it really is okay then, huh? For me to move in here? I mean, I don't want to be a burden, but if you guys really are cool with it."

Grinning wide, Bow nodded his head enthusiastically. "More than cool! I think it would be awesome! Even with five people living here, it feels kinda lonely sometimes. The more the merrier!" Out of nowhere, he gasped loudly. That happened a lot with Bow, whenever he got an idea. "We should do something tonight~ Go out for dinner or something. I can call up Perfuma and we can bring the lovebirds and everythinggg!"

Ugh, Perfuma. She was a nice enough girl, but she always made Glimmer feel... weird. It wouldn't be exactly right to say that she was jealous. After all, the both of them were dating Bow. And she never stole him away, or said mean things to her. But she was just so tall and gorgeous and how in the world could you not get just a little bit intimidated by her? "Yeah, whatever, sure. Let's do it."

Bow might not have noticed her lack of enthusiasm, but surprisingly Adora did. He ran off to go get ready for the day, but she hung around and helped her with cleaning the dishes and cookware. "So uh... I didn't really want to press it last night, but... If I'm hanging around, I should probably know what the deal is with you and Perfuma. Sorta sounds like you're not a fan."

Glimmer didn't say anything for a while, just washing the last few plates in silence. How much could she really tell Adora? What would she say to the others? Would she be gone soon? "We might as well move that futon into another bedroom if you want to keep using it. Come on."

* * *

Getting sweaty and out of breath was the worst. It wasn't as if Glimmer was super out of shape. But she wasn't _in_ shape either. So by the time the futon was properly nestled in the room that was now to be considered Adora's, she was feeling a bit out of sorts. She couldn't stop thinking about stupid Perfuma, and even stupid Netossa and stupid Spinnerella and all those people who seemed to have it so easy when it came to just being with someone and being happy about it.

And here was this freaking goddess moving the futon without so much as a grunt of effort and now she was living here and-

"Adora, am I pretty?" _Oh my god you cannot just say that to a woman! You have to lead up to a question like that! What is wrong with you?!_

She could hardly believe it, but the other girl's face turned a dark shade of red and she quickly turned away, busying herself with her backpack, pulling things out and organizing them. "I-I mean, obviously! Look at you, you're super cute, and your eyes are really nice and... Yeah, you're pretty. Why?"

 _Okay, she had that one ready to go. She's from Phobos, she's used to lying. That must be it._

 _No. Wait, what? That's so screwed up, Glimmer! She's just a normal girl from a bad situation._

 _But then that means she's telling the truth, and this model actually thinks you're pretty._

 _Which is crazy and impossible._

"Okay well... Perfuma is like... mega-tall and tan and pretty and nice and everyone loves her. And every time I see her and Bow together, I just get so freaked out that he's gonna realize I'm a gremlin. And then I'll be single and everyone else will be happy. Obviously that's crazy, but I don't know how to not feel that way!" It all just spilled out, practically in a single breath. "Here, look." She fished out her phone and pulled up a picture of the other girl from Facebook and showed it to Adora.

She actually had the gall to give a halfhearted shrug, looking unimpressed. "Eh, just not my type, honestly."

"Wh-! Adora! You can't be serious. She's gorgeous. She's everyone's type!"

She was silent for a moment, idly messing with her things a moment longer, then looking to the phone, then up at her face. "Is she _your_ type? Maybe... it would help your relationship if you got to know her better? You could be like a... like a cute little triangle or whatever." She fumbled the shirt she was holding, rushing to pick it back up and fold it again. "Seriously, how could she not-"

"I'm _trans_. Adora."


	3. You May Not Have Done Anything

"I'm _trans_. Adora."

 _Oh._

 _Ohhhh..._

 _Adora, you idiot._

She almost couldn't believe she had gone so far as to blurt out that Glimmer was cute, only to realize that this was about way more than just whether she was... pretty or not! Perhaps the girl was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even have a chance to realize what she'd said. That was probably for the best. "That's fine, Glimmer. The point still stands. You could give it a chance."

She shook her head and began to pace. "No, that's not... I mean... Okay, no. Let me start from the beginning."

"A very good place to start."

Glimmer shot her a death-glare. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just quote The Sound of Music at me. _Anyway._ So I actually met Bow back when we were just entering middle school. He was going to the same doctor as me. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he's trans too. It was pretty obvious – same age, same things going on, we ought to hang out. And we became best buds! But... Bow, he took to being a boy way, way better than I did to being a girl. I mean, you've seen the way he shows off his abs! And he's so funny and nice." She sighed and flopped face-first onto the bed dramatically. There were a few moments of silence before she lifted her head up for breath. "But look at me! I can be a total jerk. And I have zero confidence. I haven't shaved my legs in like two weeks. Perfuma isn't a bigot or anything, I just can't imagine she would think of me as someone worth dating. Bow gets a pass because we have history together. Pretty sure I could never get someone as cool as her or-"

She suddenly cut herself off, and while Adora wanted to press her further, she could tell that this was already a pretty tense situation. She had accidentally stumbled straight into Glimmer coming out to her. Instead, she decided to take a different route. "You need a wingwoman."

Her eyebrow quirked dramatically, but she didn't say anything right away.

"I'm serious. Look, you obviously don't wanna bring this up with Bow, and that's fine. That's your business. But why not at least give it a go? I'll be there to help you chat her up, and you don't even have to make your intentions obvious if it's not working out. Plus, I guess I need to get to know everyone, so this will be a good excuse!" She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest a little.

Glimmer finally started to sit up again, no longer making any kind of weird face. "You really think that could work?"

No point in making an empty promise, so she just shrugged, but offered her usual easy smile. "No idea. But I figure it's worth a shot."

Once again she sat there for a moment as if studying her in silence, finally nodding her head half-heartedly. "Fine. A _shot_. That's all."

* * *

There was some time before this whole dinner thing was supposed to happen, so Adora opted to take a nap, curling up on the futon. Despite getting a pretty good sleep the night before, she passed out pretty quickly.

" _Wh-What are you doing?"_

" _I'm leaving, Catra. I can't stay here any more. Not after what happened."_

" _People die, Adora. It happens all the time."_

" _Yeah, but I didn't think the Horde killed people! Weaver's been using us, manipulating us!"_

" _...Uh yeah. Duh. We're criminals. We do crimes."_

" _Well sure, some fishing and scamming, but nothing like this..."_

" _Wake up! We do a lot more than that. You just never let yourself see it. Come on~ I'm not asking you to stick around for Weaver, or Kyle, or... or any of the others. Certainly not whoever this Hordak asshole is. It's always been just you and me, Adora. We're in this together."_

" _...I'm sorry..."_

" _Wh- Fine! Run away then! See if I care!"_

" _I'm not running away! I'm just going to Luna. I'll wait for you there. When you're ready, come find me."_

There was a knock at the door, jarring Adora out of her dream. Her nightmare. She reached up and felt some tears in the corners of her eyes. Hastily she wiped them away and began fumbling for her boots an jacket. "U-Um, c-coming!"

* * *

The crew ended up going to a pretty cool Ethiopian restaurant for their dinner that night. Adora didn't exactly have a ton of nice clothes, so she was grateful to see that no one else was getting particularly dolled up either.

It turned out that Glimmer's assessment of Perfuma wasn't entirely off the mark. She was indeed easy on the eyes, and she wore decorative little flowers in her hair. She struck Adora as one of those hippie trust fund babies, but she made up for that by being a genuinely nice, enthusiastic person. "Wow, so you just... left? I don't think I could ever do something like that! You're so brave..."

Obviously she had only told part of the story. Nobody knew the whole truth. If she was lucky, they would never find out. Adora laughed bashfully, rubbing at her neck as she tried to shrug off the wave of compliments. "Aw, nah, it really wasn't all that much. I mean... Glimmer and Bow, they were willing to just pick me up off the side of the road! I'd been walking for hours. They're the real heroes of this story."

Glimmer laughed, just as embarrassed to have the spotlight turned on her. She really could be quite sweet, despite her insistence that she could be a total jerk. No point in dwelling on that thought. She was here to help her get closer to Perfuma! "Nooo, no, we just did what was right, you know?" She shrugged, then shrugged again, being rather humble about the entire thing.

"It's true!You guys saved me. I can't imagine what a wreck I'd be if I had walked the whole way here and then had to find a hotel room or whatever on the small stack of money I had. Definitely wasn't expecting them to give me someplace to live~" She grinned and glanced over at Glimmer again, giving her a significant look and nudging her with her elbow. "Right?"

"Y-Yeah! And she's been a great guest already."

Perfuma's focus seemed to be almost completely on Adora still. She actually reached over, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Aww, you poor thing. We'll all help take care of you. You're in good hands now."

On the other side of the table, Netossa began to laugh, not even bothering to hide her amusement. "Perfuma, girl, you are just shameless. Let the 'poor thing' get adjusted before you go pouring on the charm..."

 _Wait, seriously?_ Here was Adora trying to turn the attention onto Glimmer, to help her get to know her boyfriend's girlfriend better. And instead everyone seemed to think she was soaking up all of that attention herself?

"Be nice, Net! Let the little ones have their fun. If Perfuma wants to get all up in that, who are we to stop her?" Great, now even Spin was joining in on the teasing. This was not good.

She glanced back at Glimmer again with an eyebrow raised. The girl just hurried to stuff some food in her face before washing it down with a gulp of water. She was definitely looking red in the face. Adora couldn't believe she was screwing this whole thing up. "W-Well! I'm still new. I don't know if I'm really looking for... y'know... anything. Honestly, I would have thought you'd be all over Glimmer! I can just imagine the three of you on a date together, that'd be so cute!"

"Oh. Sure, she's a real sweetheart. She and Bow are super adorable together. But personally, you're more my type..." She giggled girlishly, rubbing her shoulder a little with a very, very obvious look in her eye.

Adora was quick to shove some food in her mouth as well, before she said something stupid. As she did so, Glimmer huffed and stood up suddenly from the table, walking out of the restaurant without another word. For a while, all of them sat there in confusion, as if silently debating who should go after her. Despite the fact that Bow was the most obvious choice, Adora ended up standing first, clearing her throat softly. "I'm gonna just check up on her real quick. You guys just keep enjoying the food."

* * *

It didn't take too long to find her. Glimmer had only made it as far as a bench a little ways down the sidewalk. She was sitting there with her hands clutched tightly together between her knees, head hanging, staring at the sidewalk. Carefully, Adora moved over, sitting next to her on the bench. She didn't say anything right away, giving her friend a chance to move away or say something first.

But she didn't, and after a while Adora figured she had to say something. "I'm sorry..."

Glimmer looked back, slightly confused. "What?"

"I'm... I'm sorry? I mean, I don't really know exactly what happened in there. But I'm obviously not the expert wingwoman that I thought I was. So I just wanted to apologize for that."

She shook her head and sat up a little taller. "You don't have to apologize. I've never seen her act like that before, not even with Bow! Not like I can blame her-" Her eyes suddenly went wide and her face became pure red embarrassment.

 _Wait, did... Does she mean...?_ Adora cleared her throat and looked anywhere but in Glimmer's direction. "I-I thought..." She started to play their previous conversation back through her mind and quickly realized that she had kind of jumped into this whole wingwoman thing headfirst without really making sure it was something Glimmer even wanted. "I'm such an idiot... I was so excited to be in a normal situation I didn't even stop to think that maybe I shouldn't be."

Glimmer reached for her hand and held it fiercely. "No! You're not an idiot! You're really nice, and it's incredibly sweet that you think any of this is normal."

"I had a weird childhood. Speaking of which, I'm not nice. Not really. I used to be kind of awful. So I was rushing to do something to make up for that. And it kinda blew up in my face."

"I wouldn't say that..." the other girl replied, gently squeezing her hand. "Perfuma really is a great person. And it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we got along better. But I'm not jealous of her, not like that. I was... Okay. Okay, this is stupid. But I was maybe getting a little frustrated with her. Because she was flirting with you so openly. Confidently. And I don't know how to do that."

"Flirting? Or... flirting with me?"

She didn't respond right away, but her grip did get a bit tighter. "Either?" Glimmer sighed, burying her face in her free hand. "I'm such a mess~"

Reaching over, she gently pried her other hand away and held that one as well, urging her friend to look into her eyes. "I'm a mess too, so it's probably fine. There's, um, a lot that I still haven't really told you yet. I mean it, I'm not a great person. Or at least I wasn't."

"That doesn't matter to me! The only Adora I know is the one sitting right here. Whatever you used to be-"

"I was in a gang. Back in Phobos."

That shut her up quickly. "...the Horde?"

"Yeah. Weaver was the woman who raised me, and she's... I don't know, the captain I guess? So when I was little, _that_ was my normal. Catra and I learned how to pick locks and pockets, how to scam people, how to run complicated cons. But recently I found out that the Horde does a lot more than that. And I left..."

Glimmer looked like she was on the verge of very real tears. She let go of her hold on Adora's hands, jumping up to her feet. "Uh, yeah, I'll say! The Horde killed my dad, Adora! So you had better swear to me right now that you had nothing to do with that! Promise me!"

"Of course not!" She leapt to her own feet as well. "I never hurt anyone, and as soon as I found out how evil the Horde was, I got out! Glimmer, you have to believe me. I just thought it was... doing what we could to survive. But now I know, they were training us to do way worse stuff."

The tears were starting to fall now, and she sniffled pathetically, launching herself at Adora. For a moment, she thought Glimmer was going to hit her. But instead she wrapped her arms around her neck, forcing Adora to catch her around the legs. Before she knew it, she was kissing her hard on the lips.

"Well... that's a twist I didn't see coming..." she heard Netossa snark from somewhere behind her.


	4. You Can Have This Heart to Break

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know, Bow! It just kinda happened..."

Bow stared her down for a moment in disbelief. "Kisses don't just happen, Glimmer. There's a rather active component that I think you're overlooking!"

Glimmer groaned and began pacing his bedroom anxiously. "I'm not saying I blacked out and did it unconsciously or anything. It's just that... when I asked her if she was serious about why she left the Horde, she looked so legitimately hurt and I didn't know what else to do."

"Oh god, it was a panic kiss?" He sat down by the window, shaking his head. "That's a dangerous move to pull. No wonder she was so stunned."

That was putting it mildly. After Glimmer had foolishly gone for the lips and everyone walked out to see what was going on, things got... awkward. Neither of them talked to each other about it, and once they reached the house, Adora simply went to her room while Bow dragged her away. "I think I screwed up really bad."

Despite the grilling she'd just received, Bow actually started to shrug nonchalantly. "I wouldn't say that. She was kissing you back. We all saw it. Yeah, sure, you had it bad from moment one. But I'm thinking maybe she did too." Suddenly he looked back toward her more intently. "Didn't you say she was trying to help wingwoman you? Get you closer to Perfuma?"

Glimmer nodded pathetically. "I don't even know why I agreed to that. Maybe... Maybe because I just liked that she was doing something so nice for me..."

That caused him to start snickering. "Wow, Glimmer, that's... incredibly gay of you. Letting a girl be your wingwoman to your boyfriend's girlfriend because you wanna hook up with her? What a strange life we lead."

"Okay, rude, you don't have to make fun of me!"

"I'm not making fun of you, dummy. I think it's really cute." There was a brief pause, where his face grew more thoughtful. "You should go talk to her."

Glimmer just huffed and continued pacing. "And say what? Oh, hey, I know things got really awkward there, but I actually did mean it when I kissed you. I think you're beautiful and interesting and I want to get to know you better in a not-just-friends kinda way. No big deal."

"...yeah. Pretty much exactly that."

* * *

Glimmer knocked at the bedroom door a few times and bit back the urge to start pacing again.

 _You can do this. Just talk to her like a normal human being. Because she's a normal human being too. Just two... normal people. Having a chat. Not even a big deal._

A few more seconds passed and finally the door opened. Adora was standing on the other side, looking a bit surprised. "Uh... hey."

"Hey. Do you have a second?"

"...sure." She stepped aside, opening the door wider. Glimmer stepped through, Adora shutting the door behind her. "What uh... What can I do for you?"

Not entirely sure what to do with herself, she just kind of stood in the middle of her room awkwardly. She crossed her arms, looking around for a moment or two. "I just wanted to... apologize? Explain? I-I don't know. I just wanted to talk to you about... the thing." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other anxiously.

To her extreme embarrassment, Adora crossed her arms as well, her face plastered with an amused smirk. "The thing where you kissed me? Please do."

"Wh-!" She wasn't expecting the sass, and it threw her off what little game she had left. "No, it's not-! Okay. Okay, so I should never have agreed to the whole... 'wingwoman' thing in the first place. I already knew I wasn't all that interested in Perfuma in the first place. And then she started flirting with you, and it just made it all the more obvious that I'm the gross friend that nobody wants and that Bow is probably only dating me out of pity and... So I just had to get some air. And then you were the one who came and checked on me and I wondered if maybe I was missing something. Then things got heated, and yeah I was freaked out because you were a part of the gang that killed my dad. But also I couldn't stop thinking how pretty you were and I kissed you because I'm a dummy!"

Slowly Adora's face softened. "Glimmer... You're not gross and you're not a dummy. If I'm honest, I came up with that dumb idea because I figured it would help you feel better. And it blew up in my face. If there was anyone in that restaurant who was going to kiss me, I'm glad it was you."

With her face burning like crazy, she shifted a bit closer to the other girl. "And you don't care that I'm-"

There was no chance to finish that thought. Adora was suddenly grasping her cheeks and kissing her. Glimmer gave an incredibly embarrassing squeak of surprise before pushing up on her toes to make it a little easier. She rested her own hands on her hips, holding her closer. This one was definitely way better than the last, if only because it wasn't nearly as awkward as the last. At some point, Adora pulled back just a little, looking into her eyes. "Of course I care. It's a part of who you are. But I know what you mean, and obviously I don't mind."

"...hey, since everything at dinner kinda went sour, do you wanna go hang out downstairs for a while and decompress with a movie or something?"

* * *

For a while it was just the two of them, and things were very lovely indeed. Glimmer didn't realize just how nice it was to be nestled up against another girl, head resting against her shoulder. If pressed, she would have no clue what the movie they were watching was even about. She couldn't care less.

At some point, Bow and Perfuma entered the room, each smiling pleasantly at the sight of them cuddling. "Well, I would say everything worked out a-okay then. Glad to know I was super right!" Bow said with a massive grin.

Perfuma stepped closer, looking rather ashamed about something. "Glimmer, I owe you a huge apology. I... I can be really dense sometimes. I thought Adora was just being nice, it didn't even occur to me that she was... you know, whatever. Anyway, no hard feelings?"

Considering the fact that she wasn't even particularly interested in Perfuma in the first place, it was hard to have hard feelings about the situation. She had, inexplicably, gotten what she wanted. Everything else was mostly secondary. "Think nothing of it. Why don't you guys join us?"

"Tell you what, Perfuma. If you want, you can sit here next to me and feel my muscles."

All three of them looked at her in surprise. "Ohhh, so she does know how to flirt~ If anyone knows of any reason why my hands and her muscles should not be wed in holy fondling, speak now or forever hold your peace!" Not even Glimmer could find it in her heart to object. She was cuddling Adora, what harm was there in letting someone else indulge at the same time?

So the four of them were all bundled up together on the couch, and for a while it seemed as though that would be it. But then Netossa and Spinnerella came poking their heads into the room too. "Well well, look at the lovebirds. I guess everything worked out?" Spinner was looking pretty smug as she flopped onto the couch next to Glimmer, pulling Net down next to her.

"Hm. I guess you could say that..." She leaned up and planted a kiss on Adora's cheek. Perfuma did the same on the other, and both of the older girls laughed brightly. "I'm glad you guys came to hang out. Dinner was a little goofy, and I think Adora deserves a second chance to get to know everybody."

"Yeah, I don't even know what you guys all do. Are... all of you students at the university?"

"Yup! I'm in engineering, and Perfuma is botany." Bow grinned proudly.

Everyone else signed off in turn. Glimmer did theatre and Spinnerella studied dance, while Netossa was doing marine biology. They really did have quite the spread of interests, all things considered. Glimmer looked over at Adora with a curious smile. "What about you? You said you were thinking about enrolling once you had your GED?"

She laughed bashfully, messing with her ponytail. "Oh, uh... I'm not positive. I was thinking I might try for an athletic scholarship, go into sports medicine or massage therapy."

That got Perfuma giggling brightly. "Glimmer! You caught yourself a jock? Who'd have thought~"

They continued to chat like that for a while, completely ignoring whatever was going on with the movie. All things considered, Glimmer felt contented. There was still that nasty little matter of the Horde, but she wasn't ready to tackle that just yet. Instead, she just soaked up the warm vibes and relaxed with all her friends, and her new... friend? Well, there would be time to figure that out too.

* * *

Eventually, everyone went filtering off to do their own thing, and it was just the two of them again. The television was long forgotten. Glimmer was all wrapped up in Adora's strong arms, and maybe she was kind of happy to have those muscles all to herself again. Their lips were pressed firmly together, each of them occasionally moaning or sighing softly.

It might have been the weekend, but a girl still had to get her rest. She put her hands against Adora's chest and leaned back from the kiss slowly. "So I know you prefer the futon, but I was wondering if maybe you wanted to share my bed tonight? You know, strictly to help you get used to the fluffy mattress, of course! No other reason."

"Hah, no other reason. Naturally." She didn't actually answer the question immediately. At first, she just sat there looking at her intently. "Yeah. Alright. I haven't really slept in a bed with someone since..." She stopped herself, an odd look crossing her face. "Um, sorry, flashback to another life. Forget it."

 _Ugh, cool, thanks for almost murdering the mood, Adora._ Still, Glimmer wasn't about to let some sketchy memory get her down. She climbed up from the couch and took her hand, dragging her toward the stairs. "Go ahead and get changed into your pajamas and then we can snuggle."

The bashful look on Adora's face made it all worth it as she let go of her hand and moved down the hall toward her own room. Biting back the urge to squeal with delight, she disappeared behind the door and quickly got changed into some comfy-cozy pajamas, dimming all the lights except the one by her bed and diving in under the covers.

The door opened again a moment later. Adora stepped in, wearing yoga pants and a tank that showed off her arms even better, not to mention that same bashful smile. She took a few steps forward before hesitating, then closing the distance the rest of the way to the bed. "Uh, so..."

"Yes...?" she replied with a soft giggle. How could a girl so buff and beautiful be so cute? Glimmer extended her hand, and after a beat, Adora took it and allowed herself to be tugged into the bed. She shuffled up under the blankets, and immediately those amazing arms wrapped around her so naturally. She turned and pressed her back against the blonde, immediately satisfied with being the little spoon in this situation. It was damn near perfect. She even pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, with a happy little sigh. "Mmm~ Good night, Adora. I'm... really glad we met..."

"Me too, Glimmer. Good night..."


	5. The Sinners Are Much More Fun

" _Where do you think you're going?"_

" _You didn't hear? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. It's obvious Hordak's been less than impressed with you lately. He just gave me a promotion. So, I'm on my way to Luna. We're starting a new chapter. And we're getting Adora back. So get the hell out of my way."_

 _Pain exploded suddenly in the side of her face. "You little bitch. What makes you think you deserve an ounce of it?"_

 _She was already used to this, but the high of being given such a great opportunity was enough to make her feel like she was on top of the world. "Fuck. You. I'm out of here. The next time you see me, I'll have her back, and a crew of loyal soldiers."_

" _That's adorable." She laughed sarcastically. "Oh, and Catra? If you fail? Don't bother coming back."_

Catra pressed the cold beer can against her skin. It hardly mattered if her bruises hurt like hell, today was a day to be remembered. Weaver could knock her around all she liked. Hordak had just given her a huge promotion. It was time to expand the Horde, and she was leading the advance crew that would start staking out territory in Luna. And while she was at it, she was also supposed to keep an eye out for Adora, and drag her back by any means necessary. If that didn't work, well... he left it vague at that point. No need to be specific.

Lonnie shook her head, clicking her tongue. "That's pretty cold... Are we seriously supposed to merc her if she won't play along?"

Poor, sweet Kyle's face immediately contorted. "Wh-! There is no way I'm going to kill Adora!"

"Yeah, to hell with that." Rogelio quickly wrapped a comforting arm around him and held him close. "I know she abandoned us and all, but... this is Adora we're talking about!"

She shot up to her feet and quickly drained the rest of her beer. "Would you all just fucking chill for a second!? It won't come to that. If we have to, we'll just drag her in and make her understand. I know how she thinks."

That didn't completely put everyone at ease, but at least Lonnie seemed to be on-board for whatever came along. "Pfft, yeah, I think we all know how bad you want her back." Okay, scratch that, Catra was considering killing her too.

"Say that again, I dare you. See what happens, now that I'm in charge." She strode up to her, growling softly.

She wasn't even phased, just crossing her arms and scoffing. "Go ahead. Cut down the size of your own team by twenty five percent. I'm sure that will go over great with Weaver and Hordak, never mind the strategic stupidity." She leaned in and poked her gently in the center of her chest. "You wanna go chasing after her and drag her back. That's fine by me. But don't treat us like idiots, Catra. We'll respect you more."

Catra's immediate inclination was to lash out. If Lonnie was going to be a huge jackass, then maybe she deserved a good beating. But she had a decent point, as much as she hated to admit it. "Fine. Whatever. Be a smartass, as long as you follow my orders." With that, she stormed off to sulk for a while, feeling thoroughly humiliated. So much for being a competent leader.

* * *

With an old junker of a car and a few basic supplies, the troops were sent on their way. They already had a temporary headquarters waiting for them in Luna, along with some new crew members to help them get settled. It wasn't terribly impressive, little more than a crudely converted warehouse. Catra carefully guided the rust-bucket through the delivery door and parked it next to a much nicer car. Waiting beside it was an incredibly buff girl with short-cropped dye job, heeled boots, and a surprisingly pretty dress. She offered them a winning smile and a friendly wave.

Everyone climbed out and began stretching as the amazon walked over to Catra, immediately and shamelessly pulling her into a powerful bear hug. "You must be Catra! The name's Scorpia. It's a real pleasure to meet ya!"

By the time she was able to comprehend what had just happened, she was already being released. Still, she had to give a short growl and put some distance between the two of them. Already Scorpia was moving on to pull Rogelio and Kyle into her arms next. "Uh, yeah, don't know if anybody warned you, but I'm not exactly the touchy feely type. So you won't be doing that again."

"You say that now, but you'll get used to it!" She laughed and moved over to Lonnie, who was very quick to backstep out of her reach.

"You'll find my threats are a little less empty than Catra's. I don't do physical contact. Ever." To Catra's shock, Scorpia actually listened and left her alone.

That wasn't particularly good for her own sense of self-confidence. She stamped her foot – knowing full well it probably didn't help her image any. "Scorpia! You're a lieutenant, just like me. You don't have to treat them like you're a fucking... shift manager at Macy's! Show at least a little bit of... I don't know, fucking decorum?"

She had hoped for that to get a proper response, but instead Scorpia just laughed again. Suddenly, from elsewhere in the main part of the warehouse came another voice. "On the one hand, the angry one makes a good point. On the other hand, your leadership style does have a particular tone to it that earns its own brand of loyalty." Catra had been so distracted, she hadn't even noticed the giant multi-monitor set-up powered by a ridiculous-looking rig. The girl sitting there had a pair of massive purple twintails, her eyes covered with a pair of reddish goggles. She pushed them up over her brow and gave a friendly little wave. "Sorry for not giving a proper introduction, but I was in the middle of a job from the boss-man."

Catra looked back at Scorpia with a quirked eyebrow. The other woman grinned. "That'll be Entrapta. She's our resident tech nerd. At some point, Hordak finally admitted defeat and agreed that we needed to enter the twenty first century. So now we're actually doing some black hat jobs and improving our funding situation. If there's anything you need, there's a good chance she can get it for you."

Entrapta gave a dutifully little salute before returning her goggles back to their previous position. Just like that, she was back to work, her fingers firing away at the keys rapidly. So that was that.

Turning her attention back on the squad, she nodded her head, then went to the car to grab what few things she'd brought along. Even if these people were clearly insane, they were still better than Weaver. This base meant freedom. "We have quarters?"

"Yeppers! Right this way~" Scorpia replied eagerly with a grand sweeping gesture.

Toward the back end of the warehouse was a collection of relatively unimpressive walls sectioned off into a series of rooms. Each door was already marked with a sheet of paper and their names somewhat hastily scrawled out. But again, Catra was so delighted to just be out of that damned house. She couldn't understand why Adora had gone and ditched the Horde, but she did at least get wanting to escape Weaver's reach.

"Right, well, no missions for the time being. So everybody enjoy your downtime while you got it." She left it at that and disappeared inside the room marked as hers.

* * *

Catra dug her hands into her pockets and shifted over to the large computer set-up as casually as possible. "Hey... Entrapta, right?"

"Correct." That was all she got, the other girl only pausing her work long enough to reach for a nearby energy drink, sipping an impressive amount before slamming it back down on the cluttered desk.

"Right. So. Uh, were you briefed on the situation with Adora?"

She nodded her head, seemingly comfortable with maintaining a conversation while doing... whatever the hell it was she did. "A bit. She was on track to become a lieutenant herself, but she left the Horde instead. Our secondary mission is to locate her, and convince her to return. If she should prove to be too troublesome, she must be eliminated instead. Fairly straightforward."

She wasn't fond of being reminded of that last part. Moreso Entrapta's nonchalant attitude about it. But at least this one was serious about the job at hand. "And... have you found anything on her yet?" She found herself idly batting at one of Entrapta's pigtails. Even Catra could admit she had pretty nice hair. It looked thick and glossy. _Ugh, get your head out of your ass, idiot._

"I can multitask quite efficiently. While I was waiting on some code to compile, I gave it a cursory search. It took almost no time at all. As it turns out, she has made something of a presence on social media." One of the multiple screens switched over to a web browser and an image popped up on a Facebook page. It was Adora with a crowd of others, all of them looking like yuppie assholes. Worst of all though was the pink one, winking at the camera and kissing her cheek.

Catra's chest felt tight. She had at least been able to take solace in the fact that Adora had run away here to wait for her. Even if that was never going to happen, the knowledge that the only person in the world who mattered was willing to wait for her was... well, it was something anyway. But how long had it taken her to fall into the arms of some pretty, vapid bitch? A few days? Suddenly, taking her down didn't seem like such a horrible prospect.

"...keep up the good work."

That was all she said before storming back to her room. On the small little table next to her small little bed was a picture Adora had drawn for her when they were kids. She'd brought it along for obvious sentimental reasons that she had no interest in admitting. But now, all it did was make her angry. She grabbed it up and tore it to confetti before tossing it in a shower around her. "Fine. Fine, you get one chance. That's all. If you insist on this bullshit, I'll stick the knife in you myself."

She fished out her phone and messed with it for a moment or two. There was really only one thing to be done now. To let the mind games begin. A simple phrase was all she needed. Two words.

She collapsed back onto her bed and drew up a new text for her. For a while, her thumbs hovered over the keys. Technically, she could still send her a normal message – a warning that the hammer would be dropping soon. She could. But she knew she wouldn't. Not when everything could be conveyed so simply. She typed it out and fired it off.

"Hey Adora~"


	6. Don't Try to Save Me

Catra cried out when her phone began ringing. She had rather expected that her text would be the end of things for a while. Leave it to Adora to be a huge idiot and not understand what she was trying to say. She stared at the screen for a moment or two, having a fiery inward debate as to whether she should answer or not. But eventually her need to hear that voice outgrew her desire for pettiness. "Adora, what the fuck are you-"

"Catra!" God, she was as excitable as a puppy. And just as hard to ignore. "Oh my gosh, it's so good to hear your voice again! Augh, I'm such a jerk, I should have called you days ago..."

She knew she should be hanging up. This was not a conversation she should be having. But her hands refused to do what she told them. So instead she opted to be a bitch instead. "Oh, please, don't even sweat it. You've been having so much fun with your pretty new girlfriend, you haven't had time to call or text. Whatever." The line went silent for a moment, and her brain was flooded with a wave of endorphins. God, retribution was satisfying.

"How... did you hear about that?"

Catra rolled her eyes and sighed. "I didn't just hear about it. I saw the damn pictures. She posts practically everything she does on Facebook. Our new tech guru was able to find out what you were up to in under a minute."

"Wait, 'our'? So then you're... You're still with the Horde?" Did she have to sound so _disappointed_?

"Duh. It's family, Adora, which I thought you understood until you suddenly abandoned us. Which means you got to miss out on the awesome news. We're in Luna now. Expanding the territory. So... here's the thing." She swallowed, finding it harder to make this announcement than she had been just a few minutes ago. "Look, Adora, no point in fucking sugar coating this thing. You need to come back to the Horde."

There was another pause in the conversation, and this one didn't feel nearly as good. "Obviously that's not going to happen. I'm content where I am now. And Catra, there's so much room for you too! You could join us. I-I'm working on my GED, and I'm gonna go to college, a-and-"

"Adora, you're not listening to me. You _need_ to come back to the Horde. Or something bad will happen. Something really bad. Are we clear?"

"I left because I was sick of them doing evil things. Do you really think I'm going to fold to threats? I... I can't believe you're letting them do this! Letting them make you into their little... messenger..."

She huffed softly, pacing her room as the conversation got more heated. "This was a courtesy! Who do you think got the job to hunt you down, huh? Who do you think is gonna have to do the dirty deed? Come on, forget about Hordak and Weaver for a second. I miss you, idiot. If not for them, come back for me. I'll take care of all the stuff you don't want to do, ya know? Just... think about it?"

"Goodbye, Catra." And that was it. The line went dead.

Before she had a chance to properly rage, there was a knock at her door. "What!?"

The door opened and Scorpia's head poked in. "We're uh... we're gonna go on a bank heist. Interested?"

"...yeah alright."

* * *

Once Catra was less conspicuously dressed, she stepped out into the main part of the warehouse. Plain jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, combat boots. You had to be as invisible as possible to avoid suspicion. Waiting nearby was Scorpia, similarly dressed – even if she did kind of stand out just by nature of her size.

She was more surprised to see Entrapta also standing around, though she hadn't actually changed out of her weird clothing. Not that Catra was complaining exactly. At the moment, she was maybe a little sore about completely striking out with Adora, and glad to be around someone who seemed quirky and adorable. "Are you uh... helping?"

"Tangentially!" she said with a chipper smile. "Boss man got me all kinds of shiny new toys that I get to try out. We've got a van all rigged up with short-range communication stuff and some mobile hacking gear. So I'll be supporting you guys, just like in the movies!"

Catra chuckled softly and strolled over to a nearby armory – such as it was – to grab herself a gun. With a swift move, she slid it into the back of her pants and carefully tugged her shirt over it. It wasn't like they really needed a bunch of tech support. But at the same time, she didn't have the heart to upset a pretty face. "Tell me we get cool earpieces and shit."

"You get _all_ the earpieces!" Man, she had a grin that was downright scary when she got excited. It was awesome.

* * *

Scorpia brought the van to a stop in a parking lot not too far from their destination. The two of them stepped out into the fading sunlight, each tucking a small bit of technology into their ears. "Okay, that's a big check check, Wizard, how do we sound?"

There was a slight buzz, and then Catra could hear her voice coming through pretty clearly. "Ten-four, Stinger. All green."

Oof, this was... really fucking lame. "We're hitting a podunk bank that probably doesn't even have CCTV, I don't think we need goddamn code names."

Scorpia just laughed at her good-naturedly and slapped her on the back. "Shame, because you're Kitty either way." She walked on before Catra could properly retort, heading for the front door of the bank. "Game faces on."

The inside was... well... it was really damn unimpressive. They had specifically chosen a smaller bank in a suburban neighborhood. There was just two people behind the bulletproof glass, another two at the desks off to the side, and one lone security guard who could have easily been in his seventies. In a way, she was legitimately glad there were no people around trying to do their business. She might not have had the same hang-ups about killing as some _people,_ but she preferred not to drag unnecessary casualties into it if she could help it.

"I gotta go talk to one of the dudes over there. Shouldn't take too long." She smirked at Scorpia who nodded in understanding. Since there was no one around, Catra was called over almost immediately. She took a seat across the desk from a handsome guy in a decent suit. It really would be a shame if she had to put a hole in him. "Mark Jacobs, how the heck are ya?" she chimed as she sat down, making sure to read the name off his plate for 'Wizard' to hear over the earpiece.

"Hoo boy, Mr. Jacobs, you don't hide a single thing, do you? Facebook, Instagram, goodness he even has a Tumblr!"

Catra had to stifle a smirk as the banker smiled at her. "Well now, what can I do for you, ma'am?"

"Tell him you're Susan Daniels. There was a withdrawal from your account for fifty dollars, but that's it. So it doesn't seem like identity theft. That should give us enough time to come up with a proper bit of leverage." She passed the information along, and Jacobs nodded before turning his attention on his computer. "Hah, here we go! His children are attending St. Aldrich, academy for wealthy parents. Their names aarrreee... Henry and Joanna. I think we can use that."

She offered a pleasant little hum in appreciation. "I'm gonna be real with you, Marky Mark. I'm actually not here about a little missing cash. Well, I am, I guess. Eh, semantics." She shrugged and glanced around. "Here's the point. I need to know exactly and precisely who has access to those little buttons that call in the police. Otherwise, I'm going to have a companion of mine check up on Hank and Jo at St. Aldrich. And my friend can be very violent about checking. I'd hate to imagine your kids taking a tumble down a flight of stairs or something."

To his credit, Jacobs just kept plugging away at the computer as though she wasn't threatening him. Guy had a poker face like a statue. He lowered his voice into a hushed whisper as well. "Well, bonus points for not just coming in guns blazing. Honestly, we used to have those panic buttons but uh... they kinda burned out a while back. And as you can see, Sanders isn't really a top-of-the-line defense machine."

"Oh my jeez, this man is actually doing whatever we tell him? This is a fascinating development! I can't say I saw this coming, at least not so early."

Once again, Catra smirked softly at the running commentary in her ear. "Oh wow, do you guys have client surveys or something? You deserve a fucking award for helplfulness." Her grin grew as she leaned back in her seat. "I kinda expected I would have to put a hole in your knee or something first. That's great. Look, I'm gonna make you a beautiful deal. All you have to do is just play it nice and cool – be like Fonzy. Go into the teller area, gather together as much as you can, cash or valuables or whateverthefuck. And then you come back here and give it to me real smooth. Everybody's happy. Well, mostly everybody's happy."

He looked like he was starting to get exasperated, and even if the rational part of Catra's brain understood that, there was no way in hell she was getting this far and letting him fuck it up."How exactly am I supposed to do that?"

It didn't help that she was getting a little frustrated herself. "You seem like a clever dude, Mark, my man. Just make it happen. Or ol' Sanders over there is gonna catch a bullet first. Two days 'til retirement, ya know?"

"Son of a..." He sighed and stood up, adjusting his clothing. "You're a monster. Give me two minutes. And when we're done, you get the hell out and don't come back." With that, he went walking into the small area where the two women were doing whatever it was bankers did when they were banking. She couldn't make out what he was saying to them. Naturally there was every chance that he was warning them, telling them to call the police, whatever.

"Hey, Ent- Ugh, Wizard? Are you uh... monitoring the phones or whatever it is you folks do? Just to make sure they don't try anything slick?" she muttered softly, doing her best to not look crazy.

There was another crackle. "Naturally! So far, they've only received one phone call. And that was from one Mrs. Esme Tanglebottom about a monthly transaction. Nothing at all to be concerned about, you're doing marvelous!"

The compliment from the chipper voice didn't hurt, but Catra forced herself to not let it go to her head.

"Yeah! This is great, I'm used to there being a lot more violence and a lot less agreement. Catra, you're obviously going to be one hell of a lieutenant. We'll be out of here in no time."

Scorpia added her own compliments to the little conversation, perhaps a little too energetic. And hopefully not so loud that Sanders heard her. She was supposed to be on lookout, not boot-licking. She rolled her eyes and sunk into her chair a little more. "I'm guessing your missions also tend to involve more chatter? Just let me get through this so we can get back to base? Jesus..."

Jacobs finally returned with a formal-looking canvas bag that looked to be at least pretty decently filled. "I told them we had a client coming in later with plans for a large withdrawal. I honestly can't believe it worked. Here." He practically threw it into her lap with a scowl.

"Yeah, well, you'd be amazing what kind of excuses people are willing to accept when nothing is going on." Catra stood up gracefully from the chair and dramatically held the bag by the strap across her shoulder like an heiress with a purse. "Ta!"

* * *

Back in the van, her companions seemed quite pleased with themselves. Catra wasn't really feeling it. In the end, they hadn't made out with a ton of money, this had mostly been a power move to establish themselves in the area. And ultimately, a job well-done just wasn't enough to make her forget about that damn conversation with Adora. The girl had taken her one chance and dashed it on the floor. But still... she knew.

Catra couldn't kill her. That just wasn't going to happen.

But if she wanted revenge, then it should be a heart for a heart. Adora broke hers, so now it was Catra's turn. And she had a pretty damn good idea of where to start.


	7. You're Only Thinking of Somebody Else

**[A/N: A collection of drabbles that I couldn't make into their own chapters. Big ups to the anon who wanted to see Angella and Adora interact. You were so right.]**

Mermista was still adjusting to this whole... thing. Her boyfriend's boyfriend's girlfriend lived in a freaking mansion, and now they had moved in. It was fascinating, bizarre, and kind of wonderful. Mostly she loved it, but there was something about living in this mansion that was distracting her. And they were currently alone together.

As a part of the university swim team, she had to keep up with her training even in the off-season. And wouldn't you know it, her new home had a lovely pool that almost never got used. So here she was, doing her laps. And in walked a blonde Amazon, somehow managing to make an unflattering tankini and shorts look flattering. She was so absolutely gorgeous. And while Mermista was usually able to maintain a flat affect no matter the circumstances, this girl always made her just a little bit off her game.

"Mermista! Getting in your usual twelve hours of practice?"

Goodddd, that smile was so easy and flawless. How the hell could anyone be that naturally amazing? She came to a stop against the edge of the pool, brushing some hair away from her face. "Uhh, hah, yeah. You know. Gotta stay on that grind. These amazing legs don't just happen." She rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool.

"They're very good legs." Just like that, Adora's own easy-going mood dipped somewhat and her cheeks blossomed in bright red. Okay, maybe she wasn't totally perfect. "I mean! I would assume. I haven't inspected them or anything. But, y'know, you're an athlete. So obviously. They must be pretty strong." She shrugged, then shrugged again. "I'm going to shut up and join you now." She placed her towel nearby and then dove into the water with pretty great form and started swimming.

Mermista smirked to herself and then resumed her own laps as well. Maybe getting to know Adora wasn't so impossible after all. For a while, the two of them just swam laps in a kind of peaceful harmony, constantly passing each other in the middle of the pool. Occasionally Adora would even take a moment to break her stride and wave cheerfully.

As the exhaustion seeped into her bones, Mermista moved out of the pool and into the hot tub, turning on the jets and instantly melting a little. For a while, she felt as though some of that tension was gone, but then Adora slipped into the water next to her with yet another friendly smile, but also that charming blush.

"So. What do you... do, Adora?"

Her face fell slightly and she started messing with her hair. "Uhh... n-nothing right now. I mean, I'm studying for my GED and hunting for a job. So I'm doing stuff, but it kinda looks like it's not stuff? I dunno."

Shit. She was definitely not trying to make the girl feel bad about herself. She shook her head and offered a smile that was less neutral than usual. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're... doing your thing, movin' on up, all that. I mean, hell, what am I doing? Studying oceanography on a swim team scholarship. I either get a job as a researcher or I end up unemployed."

"Aw, thank you. Nice save~" she offered with a gentle laugh. There was another small silence before she made another attempt at conversation. "So... My girlfriend and your boyfriend. And Bow. Makes us like... practically step-girlfriends, huh? In-in-laws or whatever?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how obvious she was being, sinking deeper into the water with a loud groan.

Not wanting to let Adora feel like the only idiot in the room, she shuffled over closer and leaned against her. "You're weird, you know that?"

* * *

Everything was perfect. The Horde was making its presence known in Luna. They had reliable funding, plenty of fascinating technology to play with, an excess of living space. The team was mostly efficient. Entrapta felt as though her life was on the right track.

Approximately.

Well, tangentially.

Perhaps not in the personal sense. Entrapta was nursing a foolish bundle of feelings for Scorpia, and yet Scorpia really only seemed to have eyes for Catra. For her part, Catra seemed to be more interested in Entrapta. The entire situation was a Gordian Knot, and she had decided it was time to draw her sword and chop the fiddly little bastard in half.

Everyone was in the main common area sharing drinks and junk food. She strolled over as calmly as she could and gave a little salute. "Lieutenants, there are some things I would like to discuss with the both of you, privately?" She could swear she caught Lonnie rolling her eyes, but forced herself to ignore it. She was already snarky about every single thing in existence, this was nothing new.

Scorpia, true to form, stood and saluted back to her. "At ease there, soldier, no need for the formality."

"Yeah, chill the fuck out, 'Wizard'. You can just ask us to have a chat." Catra stood as well, hands dug into her pockets, taking a few easy strides toward her.

"Yes, well, um, we can just ah... Yes. This way." She quickly moved down into back end of the warehouse, leading them both into her room. She sat cross-legged on the floor and made space for both of them. Catra took an impressively unconventional posture next to her while Scorpia tucked her legs under herself with surprising daintiness. "I won't bother skirting the issue. I believe that the three of us all need to sleep together."

Catra was mid-sip of her beer, and naturally had a rather violent reaction to this suggestion. She was coughing and sputtering up the cheep alcohol, while Scorpia cast a wide glance at her. "Uhhh, where uhh... where is this coming from, Entrapta?"

She sighed, feeling exasperated that they somehow hadn't made the same series of mental connections she had. Her eyes rolled reflexively for the moment. "I had already begun developing feelings for Scorpia. Catra, after you and your team arrived, she was immediately and obviously smitten. And it hasn't escaped my notice that you look at me and play with my pigtails quite frequently. Perhaps none of our affections are returned exactly the way we would want. But it would bring us closer than ignoring it."

There was a long silence, after which Scorpia cleared her throat. "That's not totally true. You're, like, amazing and adorable, Wizard. But... maybe jumping directly to sex isn't the most perfectest idea ever."

Catra broke out in loud laughter, clutching at her stomach. "Aww, c'mon Scorp! Don't be such a prude. I've always wanted to try a threesome. But fine, I'll just be slightly less impatient." Catra looked over at her with a puckish grin. "You've got balls, Entrapta."

Both her and Scorpia exchanged a glance. "Uhh, ixnay on the allsbay there, Kitty."

Well, the topic was broached, there was hardly any sense in tiptoeing now. "I do have them. Literally. I'm transgender, Catra. But no harm done."

Surprisingly, she just shrugged at that and stretched out across the floor. "Pfft, this feels like a slumber party or something."

"Ooh! Slumber party, yes!" Scorpia clapped excitedly.

After a moment's consideration, Entrapta's head cocked slightly to the side. "Hmm, I've never been to a slumber party before."

"Yeah, fuck, it was always just me and Ad- Ugh, she who shall not be named. No slumber parties for me either."

"...hm. Same. Didn't have a ton of friends in general. Damn. We should fix that."

Entrapta threw up her hands and cheered excitedly. "Slumber party!"

* * *

Angella looked around the living room in amazement. "I haven't been gone that long, Glimmer. How have things changed this drastically?"

Her daughter at least had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Well! You already know about Bow. And Netossa and Spinnerella. Um, and Perfuma. So anyway Bow was helping out Seahawk and Mermista after his car kinda caught fire. And... we picked up Adora when she was hitchiking. And also we are... dating. So also... mom, I want you to meet my... girlfriend! Adora!"

The blonde had the equally good sense to look embarrassed and also terrified. Angella knew she could sometimes be a little intimidating. She crossed her arms and sighed deeply, then finally relented and offered a hand to the girl. "I can't pretend to understand this, but the house is in order. And I haven't seen Glimmer look this happy in a while. So... welcome. You had better take good care of both or I will come down on you like a hurricane."

At least she had a firm handshake. That probably counted for something. She withdrew her hand and started to smile. "It's good to finally meet you, ma'am. Um, Glimmer tells me you're an ambassador?"

"Yes. I spend most of my time in Eternia. But I do my best to pop back whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's... a relief, if I'm honest, to see that things are going well here." Still... There was no time like the present. As fluidly as she could, she placed a hand on Adora's shoulder and started leading her away toward her study. "If you wouldn't mind, there's something I'd like to show you."

"Mom!" Well, they couldn't grow out of everything, could they? "Do you have to do this right now?"

Bow, bless his heart, gave a big grin. "I think she does. It's an important tradition."

"Wh-? Wait, what's going on?" Adora was starting to look a bit distressed, poor thing.

Angella clicked her tongue softly as she led her away into a more private space, closing the doors behind them. "I just wanted to have a quick little one-on-one with you, Adora. Glimmer's my only daughter, and with my husband gone, she's all I have in this world. So I need to be certain that she's not in danger of being hurt."

The look of pure shock on her face was a good sign. Not overacted, quite earnest. "Of course not! She was nice enough to take me in when just giving me a ride would have been more than enough." She hesitated for just a moment, adjusting her stance. "You... ah... should probably know about me though. And... this may make you hate me."

She gave her best warm smile, uncertain where this could be going. "I doubt that very seriously."

"I was raised by a woman in Phobos named Weaver. She is... a very high-ranking member of the Horde. She tried to make me a member but I left as soon as I found out how violent and dangerous they are. A-And now I think they might be trying to get me back."

Okay. Touche. That was a pretty good reason for her to be angry. And she might have been if she wasn't so clearly embarrassed and terrified about this. Angella released a long sigh and pulled Adora in for a tight hug. "That... is _not_ ideal. But you have the advantage of so many friends. I'm going to be sure you have my personal number. I need your word that you will not let her heart get broken."

"Of course. Of course, Angella. Thank you. For understanding." She broke from the hug and left for the living room.

Once she was gone, she went to a nearby liquor cabinet and poured herself a very healthy portion of whiskey, then poured the whole thing down her throat. The Horde. Why was it always the Horde?


	8. Aching for Things You Haven't Got

"Ah-hah!"

Catra's head shot up and she looked in the direction of Entrapta's tech center. "Wh-! Wizard, I thought we discussed this. You gotta stop exclaiming everything like you're Archimedes. Especially when shit is all quiet."

"I'm incredibly sorry, Catra. But this is important. You told me to let you know the moment an opportunity presented itself."

She perked up instantly, scrambling over the back of the couch to close the distance between them. "Seriously? Augh, you rock! Tell me more!" She came to a sliding stop next to her chair, pecking her gratefully on the cheek. In response, the other girl's face turned bright red and she was stuck momentarily speechless. Instead, she just pulled up a map of the city with a small cluster of blinking dots centered on a location somewhere toward the middle of the city. "Hold up, hold up, that's... that's where that club is. But what's with all the pings?"

Finally the adorable goof seemed to snap out of it, reaching out to tap on the screen. "Our targets. You said you wanted to were interested in engaging them on neutral ground in order to participate in psychological warfare. The manager is friends with them, but also a notorious stickler for decorum. So long as none of us take part in physical violence, you may verbally jab and parry to your heart's delight!"

Sometimes, it took an extra second or two to catch up with Entrapta's vocabulary. "Holy shit, then what is everyone doing sitting around? We gotta get the fuck over there!"

* * *

Adora smoothed out her dress and glanced around at the line leading into the glittery neon blue of the club – Coldnap. Apparently this place was run by a mutual friend. Or, well, owned by her parents? This whole world of wealthy people was still incredibly foreign to her. Glancing over at Glimmer hanging off her arm, she leaned in with an embarrassed look. "Okay I know we went over this a million times but... Frosta was a friend of you guys, but then she dropped out of school to take over the family business – i.e. this place?"

Glimmer just laughed and nuzzled into her shoulder. "Yes, Adora. I know it's a little crazy that she's our age and she's... y'know, running this place. But Frosta has the soul of an ancient sage, so we're all just used to it. You'll see." They stepped closer toward the bouncer. "Like I said, as long as everyone's on their best behavior, she's a total darling. Hm, well. I mean she's still kinda closed off. But you learn how to read her. I'm rambling."

If the only thing in the world she was allowed to listen to for the rest of time was Glimmer 'rambling', her life would be perfect. "I think I can safely say there's not much danger of misbehavior. We've all been working our asses off on stuff and we deserve a proper night off! We're gonna... get in a circle around our shoes and purses and... whatever it is people do at clubs!"

Mermista leaned over and looked at her intently for a moment. "..does your entire idea of what people do when they go out come from comedy routines?"

* * *

Catra triple-checked herself in the mirror, and then carefully loosened her tie. Obviously there wasn't much point in making sure she looked good. This was still a mission. It hardly mattered if she was appropriately stylish.

But on a personal level, it was crucial. She knew now, she couldn't make Adora miss the Horde. She clearly hated a lot of what the Horde stood for. But she could make Adora miss _her_. She could fuck with her. She could make her regret running away. That was something Catra could handle.

However, all the psyching up in the world couldn't prepare her for everyone else in their own finery. Scorpia usually looked pretty impressive, so she should have predicted she would look twice as stunning in massive heels and a party dress. But she didn't. After their dumb little 'slumber party', she really had been adjusting to the idea that she actually did kinda like her. She was towering and beautiful.

Likewise, Entrapta had warmed up to her quite a bit. Well, maybe. It could be a little difficult to tell. Her true excitement was reserved for specific things and activities. But that was also her charm, so it all worked out. She wasn't exactly dressed to the nines, but she was wearing a particularly cute pair of overall shorts and a long-sleeved black shirt.

This was an all-hands-on-deck situation, so Lonnie and the boys were also ready to go, though they were mostly coming along for back-up.

And they were all looking at her for orders. She ran her fingers through her hair and cleared her throat. _Right. I'm a fucking lieutenant. I should probably do my goddamn job._ "Let's do this. Time for operation Mind Games."

* * *

Adora... was not really a dancer, as it turned out. Especially compared to Glimmer and Bow who were absolutely tearing up the dance floor. But she was having fun on the sidelines with Mermista and Perfuma just watching them for a while.

"You know... I still feel legitimately bad for how hard I ignored Glimmer. She's a treasure!" Perfuma giggled, still occasionally swaying her hips in time with the music.

Mermista shrugged. "Whatever, people can be weird and confusing. The important thing is that right here and right now? In this most precious of all moments? You wanna hit that." She got one of those playful little smiles, trying her best to maintain her aloofness, only for all three of them to break out in bright laughter.

"Ahah, for a split second there I was gonna be like 'hey that's my girlfriend you're talking about' but then I remembered this is just my life now. It's... a good life." Adora was certain – there was nothing that could screw this up. Glimmer and the others came back to their little social circle, wrapping around her and kissing her playfully on the lips.

And that was right about the time she saw Catra walk through the door.

"...shit." She quickly grabbed the two closest arms – in this case, Glimmer and Mermista's – and started guiding everyone further into the club. "Shit shit shit!"

"Woah, Adora, since when do you curse like that?"

As adorable as her surprise was, this wasn't the time to be admiring her girlfriend's face. "Catra. Catra just walked in. This is so bad. I thought she was bluffing! She wouldn't actually kill me... right? I mean, we were best friends growing up!"

Everyone around her just looked back and forth, eyes full of confusion and uncertainty. "Hey, look, Frosta keeps this place in tight order. She can't do anything so long as we're all here and together. If she tries anything at all-" Bow cut himself off, staring at the door where a girl with massive purple pigtails entered just after Catra. "Is that...?"

"Entrapta! I wondered what had happened to her after she dropped out of the university." Perfuma was staring, perhaps even more intently than him.

And now it was Glimmer's turn to freak out. "Wh-? Scorpia... We went to high school with her. What is she doing with the Horde?"

Netossa was pulling Spinnerella in closer as everyone unconsciously helped form a kind of barrier to hide Adora. "Wait, why does that name sound familiar?"

Too many things seemed to be happening at once, but still her brain was whirling away and pieces were clicking into place. "Scorpio Realty! They own like... seventy five percent of Phobos. Wealthy enough to attend your fancy-pants school, sketchy enough to have connections to a gang. Catra said she had some kind of team here in Luna! Auugghh, this is so bad! I'm dead. I'm completely dead. I never should have left."

"Hey Adora~"

* * *

God, what a row of pretty little dolls with their jaws hanging down like idiots. Catra could definitely see herself enjoying this. "Can you please not look at us like we're monsters. This is a club, we're just here to dance and have a good time! Or am I not allowed to be a normal person with normal girlfriends? Are you the only one who gets to date people and hit the town?"

If Adora was shocked before, she was completely dumbstruck now. It was a glorious experience. "You... They're... Wh-Whatever! Do what you want. Just stay away from us."

Catra gasped, clutching a hand to her chest. "You wound me. Come on girls. Let's leave Adora to her paranoia." She took each of her companions by the arm and walked them away into the middle of the dance floor. Once there was enough distance between them and the other group, she pulled both in closer. "You all know what to do. Wait for my mark~"

For a while, they played it cool, enjoying the thumping music and dancing with one another. Scorpia had amazing rhythm, and Catra was plenty comfortable with her body. Entrapta was obviously a bit unsure what to do with herself, but the both of them made sure to give her appropriate encouragement. Every now and then, she would glance across the floor and make intense eye contact with Adora. Particularly when she was pressed up tight against her girlfriends, nuzzling and kissing them.

Finally she saw a little flash of... something in her face, and figured that was about the best sign she was going to get. "Okay, we've got a bite. Get in position."

"Roger~" Scorpia said with a light purr before making her way over to the bar.

Entrapta grinned and started slipping away toward the back hallway. "Affirmative."

That done, she gracefully slipped her way back over toward her old friend. She didn't immediately say anything, simply taking her hand and pulling her deeper into the crowd. "Come on, dance with me! Don't be a butt face about this!"

She stumbled a few steps but eventually managed to catch up with her. "Woah, wait! Woah!"

Catra gave her best girlish giggle. "Just let loose, ya dork! I know things are a little crazy, but let's be real. It's always just you and me, right? My offer still stands. You don't have to come back and join the Horde. Just come back for me. That's all I care about..." She cast one quick glance over her friend's shoulder, just to be certain that Glimmer chick was watching them. And then, she pulled Adora into an impressively passionate kiss.

* * *

By the time Adora had the good sense to push away from the kiss, she could already see Glimmer running off in tears. "No!"

Catra just laughed, and it made her chest feel like it was imploding. "All these people you let in close and she doesn't have a problem with it. One kiss from me and she freaks out? Hell of a girlfriend you got there, Ad-" Lightning quick, she lashed out and slapped her across the face. Catra just laughed again. "Ah ah, shouldn't have done that."

A heavy hand suddenly landed on her shoulder from behind. "You should probably leave now, ma'am."

"Wh-! She started it!" Ugh, why did she have to say it like that, like a petulant child?

The bouncer didn't seem particularly fond of her tone either. He just shrugged and started to push her toward the door. Away from the back of the club, away from Glimmer. "Not the way I saw it. And frankly, not my problem. My job is to kick out the violent ones. Now get."

A growl worked its way up her throat and she started to move back after her girlfriend, but there wasn't much point to it. Tall or strong as she might have been, this guy was built like a wall. Her desperation wasn't helped by the realization that Catra had already disappeared. She always was slick. And now she was dangerous too.

Without much hope of staying inside, she could only allow herself to be 'escorted' out onto the sidewalk. The only good thing was that the rest of her friends were quick to follow after her. Well, most of them. "Where's Glimmer? Did anyone see where she went?"

She could see on their faces that at least some of them had watched the kiss between herself and Catra. And they were all a bit unnerved. Only Seahawk appeared to be lacking in the social grace to maintain some tact. "Sorry there, Adora-ble, but I'm not so sure she's interested in seeing you right now. Maybe we should just give her a moment." He was silenced from anything further by an elbow to the ribs from Mermista.

"Uh oh. That may not be the problem." Bow pointed toward a nearby vehicle. A van was pulling past. Sitting up front was her old friend Kyle at the wheel, Lonnie in the passenger seat, and between them... an unconscious Glimmer.

Before Adora had a chance to process what she was seeing, her phone lit up. There on the screen was a text from Catra.

"Bye Adora~"


	9. Wake Up With Yourself

The last thing Glimmer really remembered was storming off down the back hallway of the club after watching Adora and Catra kiss. There was no real logic to the decision, she was just very upset and she needed to get away from the situation. That was when she passed by that Entrapta girl that Bow recognized, and... everything went black from there.

Her eyes fluttered open on a strange room. There was very little in the way of items or decorations. Glimmer's vision was still pretty blurry, but it was hard to mistake the appearance of Scorpia or the way she filled a room. Mostly on impulse, she attempted to move from where she was and quickly found it impossible. Her arms were bound behind her to whatever she was sitting on, as were her legs. "Shit..."

Scorpia turned around with a small gasp, looking legitimately concerned for her well-being. "Oh, well hey there. Really sorry about all of that rough stuff. You've kinda just been caught in the middle of this whole thing. Not to worry, of course. Your lady will be here soon enough and we'll be able to trade you off and you can head home safe and sound."

She said all that as if it was meant to be comforting, but it mostly just made Glimmer feel more worried. Adora would absolutely, definitely be the kind of person to come after her. And she would definitely, absolutely be the kind of person to offer herself in exchange for Glimmer's freedom and safety. Augh, and the last time they'd seen each other, Glimmer had freaked out about a stupid little kiss! How in the hell was she supposed to go home 'safe and sound' knowing Adora was putting herself in a horrible place like this? "Oh, good! So I can leave and then, what, Catra can kill her? Forget it. I'm not going to let that happen."

"No need for the dramatics. Nobody's going to die. We're just gonna organize a little meeting between Adora and some of the folks from the Horde who aren't to happy about her just taking off like that." She opened up a bottle of water and brought it over. Naturally, Glimmer refused to drink.

"I have zero love or sympathy for the people who killed my father. Your entire little club can kiss my ass." She grumbled and looked away from her. Scorpia continued to offer her the water silently for a few seconds longer before giving up and leaving the room. Now that she had some time, Glimmer began quietly working on the knots at her wrists. It was actually kind of an insult that they weren't more secure. These were the same people who had terrified her all of her life? And now she was maybe thirty seconds from freeing herself. That anger turned to a kind of pity.

Her nails felt a little bit sore, but the knot had loosened just enough that she was able to start wriggling free of the ropes. Scrambling, she reached down and started freeing her ankles as well. Her hands trembled with fear and excitement. All she could think about was getting out of this place and making it home to Adora and the others. She would apologize a million times if she had to. "Yes yes!" she cheered in her soft little stage whisper. But her mood was quickly shot when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. "Crap!"

Her patch job was crappy, but she figured she wouldn't need too long. Whoever walked through that door probably wouldn't be paying too much attention to whether she was suddenly released. And as soon as they were close, she could attack. Glimmer had never attacked anybody in her life, but here and now she was willing to give it a shot.

Go figure, Catra was the one to walk in. "Scorpia tells me you were very rude. I'll ignore it this time, but you better check your attitude or people really will start getting hurt. You feel me?"

"Yeah, I feel you..." she muttered angrily. Catra was walking the room with that same swagger that was so quickly becoming insufferable. She looked forward to this next part. Glimmer let her limbs slip free again and she launched herself at the other girl, growling as she knocked her to the floor.

"What the fuck?" Catra sputtered as she tumbled back onto her ass with a painful grunt. She seemed to be too shocked to really react properly.

Knowing this was probably the only chance she was going to get before someone came running to the rescue, she delivered a punch directly to her face. Unfortunately, to repeat the issue, Glimmer wasn't familiar with how to enact violence on another person. First and foremost, she had managed to injure her hand in the process. Second, Catra wasn't hit unconscious like she had been hoping. Instead, she had basically just managed to give her a bruise and draw a bit of blood. Which didn't do much to help her mood, that was for sure.

"You idiot, what were you trying to accomplish here?" Actually, she seemed almost more stunned and confused than purely enraged.

"Wh-! I was trying to... to knock you out or whatever!"

"Do you get all of your world knowledge from movies? It's basically impossible to knock someone out with a single punch. Ah, fuck, that hurt..."

She sat back, pathetically shaking her hand with a little whimper. "Didn't exactly do wonders for me either, quite frankly."

"Yeah, cuz you curled your fingers around your thumb like an idiot. Fuck." Catra gingerly touched a fingertip to her wound and hissed in response to the pain. "And what was the plan? After you got out? Just run past everyone else? Go charging into the city with no money and no transportation and no phone? Jesus, this was supposed to be a perfect plan..."

"Serves you right for being such a bitch about it and kissing my girlfriend..." she grumbled back.

"Oh fuck off with that. How many other people does she kiss and you don't say a goddamn thing. You're just jealous because we have _A History_. And you can't stand that you'll never be as close to her as I am."

"No!" she fired back angrily. "No, I hate you because you choose to stay in a gang that does so many horrible things and think you're worthy of even a fraction of the love she wants to give you!"

"Woah, getting a little bit too honest there. If I were you I wouldn't have admitted that Adora clearly still has feelings for me. The last thing you want to do is give your nemesis hope."

Glimmer huffed as she continued to nurse her aching hand. "You wish you could be my nemesis. You're nothing. Not even a blip on my radar. Fuck you."

"Fuck you," Catra repeated before suddenly launching herself at Glimmer without warning.

The next thing she knew, the two of them were kissing with a kind of righteous fury that she didn't even know herself capable of.

* * *

Glimmer wasn't entirely positive how she had ended up here. Well, sure, she knew the general steps. But she was having difficulty understanding how she had _let_ herself do this. Somewhere along the way, they had moved into Catra's room, and neither of them was wearing clothes anymore. She was turned away from Catra, cocooned in her blankets and brooding about just how much of a hypocrite she was. "Well this is a goddamn bitch of an unsatisfactory situation..."

"I dunno, you seemed pretty satisfied there a few minutes ago." Adora hadn't been lying. Catra could literally purr.

"Sorry about that, by the way. Not warning you about... my body."

"Don't apologize for that shit. It's fine. Besides, Entrapta is trans too. I know this is kind of a shitty thing to say, but I'm used to it or whatever." She could feel her shrug, even if she wasn't looking at her. "Not like I don't know I'm just waffling on this so I don't have to think about what we're actually going to do. Hm, guess we could just go another round instead."

"Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't make me feel any better," she muttered softly.

Catra huffed and threw herself off the bed, beginning to rummage around for something to wear. "Well fuck, I don't know then. I'm sure any moment now, your girlfriend is going to come kicking the door in to rescue you. You can always just lie to her and we can all carry on with the plan as it stands."

Groaning, Glimmer followed suit and began hunting down her own clothing. "What, just take me back in the other room and tie me to the chair again? Keep up appearances?"

"You into that kinda thing? Dirty girl..."

She could hardly believe this, how had she let herself do something like this? Especially considering the very complicated relationship between her girlfriend and this girl. And she'd just slept with her! Catra was right, at any moment, Adora would show up, and her poker face was atrocious. And here was Catra, making gross jokes! It was infuriating, and all over again she was struck once more by the dual desires to punch her and climb back into bed. "Look, let's be real about this. Ignoring every single pesky detail about this, you trade me off for Adora, you take her back to these awful people, what do you think is gonna happen to her? I mean really, actually, truly. They're not going to let her stay like she is. They're either going to hurt her, kill her, or make her do awful things. And as soon as that happens, she's not Adora anymore, is she? This isn't a situation anybody wins exce-"

"I know that! You think I don't know that?" Catra whirled around on her, cutting her off from expressing any further depressing thoughts. She obviously had some of her own. "I'm not like her. I can't walk away from it all. She gets picked up by a cadre of beautiful people and gets to work on her GED and get a normal job and be a good person. I don't have that kind of luck. I leave, I probably end up dead in a gutter in a week's time. The universe has a tendency to shit on me, but as long as I run with the Horde, it shits on me a little less. If I play the game, I can survive. The minute I stop, at the expense of sounding like a jackass, it's game over."

"You're right, I don't understand. The Horde doesn't represent some kind of survival or freedom to me. All I see is the gang that killed my dad." She hesitated, trying to find the words that were itching at the back of her mind. "Why are we even doing all this? You guys are clearly resourceful and clever. Do your own thing, live your own lives. I-I mean... we're helping Adora, we could help you too..." The moment the words left her mouth, she knew that hadn't been the right thing to blurt out.

"Oh, you'd use your vast fortune to support our crime? Yeah, that sounds plausible." She grunted softly as she tugged on her shirt. "I'm not hearing it. I'm trading you for her and this is still happening. Nothing has changed." Glimmer could only watch, stunned where she stood, as Catra reached for a gun. "It's been fun and all, but I have a job to do."

As if to solidify this entire insane scenario, she could hear Scorpia calling to them from elsewhere in this weird place. "Hey! We got incoming, look alive!"


End file.
